#dr. franklin's island

[haveyoureadthisscifibook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[who-you-are-in-the-bark]

The worst thing that's happened to me is that these past two or so years have forced me to realize that I'm*very* into medical malpractice and surgeries and shit

Like I always sort of suspected, but suddenly fucked up surgeons were being thrown at me so fast I didn't know what to do

[full-of-terrors]

Letter from Dr. Stanley to Dr. Fergusson written on board HMS Erebus July 12, 1845- Awe of the Arctic Exhibit 2024 NYPL

Transcript: My Dear Fergusson, having a few moments to spare before the letter bag is finally closed, I hasten to drop you a line to say that, although within the Arctic Circle , I'm not yet frozen to death and therefore in the land of the living and very jolly. We had a fairish passage out here but had a mighty gale of Cape Farewell, which sent us flying with closed topsails and courses to Cape Desolation, where in spite of the dismal name we found comfort. There's smooth water and a moderate breeze. These islands, and in fact, the whole of this western coast of Greenland, is the most barren and uninviting I ever beheld.

Some of the land is very high and serrated and has the appearance of being volcanic. On the bare rocks, large quantities of tripe-de-roche may be gathered, but as we were not reduced like our excellent captain on a former occasion to such a means of subsistence, no one I could find tried its qualities as a nutrient. We are completely surrounded with icebergs, some of them upwards of 200 feet high. They are, however, from the extreme heat disappearing fast and by their constant disruption, almost frightening your very life out of you.

I and a boat crew had a very narrow escape the other day out shooting. I had just fired and killed an eider duck when I observed that we had drifted closer to an immense iceberg, which I had previously noticed a day or two before in a decayed condition. I said to an officer who was with me "What luck it should come down by the sun!" And then ordered the men to pull quickly from our dangerous neighbor when it fell with a crash. Most stunning and awful to witness. There never was so lucky an escape. The discharge of my two barrels had no doubt hastened its overthrow. And although we were at a distance upwards of 100 yards, quite near enough we were knocked and tossed about by its displacement in the sea in a most uncomfortable manner.

The island swarms with mosquitoes and they are now flying about the gun room in all directions. They are the largest I ever beheld but not the most stinging. We sailed tonight for Lancaster Sound and the transport to dear old England with a report of our proceedings up to this period. At this season of the year, in this latitude, as you are aware there is no darkness. The sun never dips below the horizon. The nights I have there for devoted to shooting and the day to skinning and preserving the specimens I have killed. Since our arrival I have not slept more than 2 or 3 hours in 24. Goodsir is working harder than medusas and desires kindly to be remembered to you.

We are all sanguine and getting through the barrier into Beechey straits this year. Every one of the native Eskimos say this is the most open season they ever remember. And on the strength of our prospects I and the other officers have ordered letters to be directed to us at Panama and Kotzebue. The latter place will, of course, be the first port we shall make when we get through.

I have not a single man on the list and I have not had for several days. Sir John Franklin is not like the same person. He is so much improved in appearance and energy. He is almost always the first on deck and the last to leave it in all weathers. I must conclude now, old fellow, with best wishes and kind regards to Mrs. F and the bairns.

And believe me, your very sincere friend, Stephen S. Stanley. I had intended to have written to Fortnum and Masons. Pray tell them like a good soul that we are delighted with everything they furnished us and the members of the mess unanimously declare them to be trumps and we should be sorry to return before we have consumed all their good things.

[demiboydemon]

Weird Animal Crossing Headcanons!

Tom Nook used to be married to Redd, now is dating KK Slider. He used to just have a crush on him, but after KK came to the island they got drunk on vacation juice and hooked up in the closed Able Sisters’ changing room, and other places after Sable caught them and kicked them out. The next morning, they talked about it and decided to take things slow. After meeting up every Saturday for a few months, they put labels on things. Timmy and Tommy who were so glad to see their Dad/Uncle happy, even though Tom Nook had to make up a sfw story about how they got together.

Redd is single, but still likes Tom Nook. He’s scornful and jealous that Tom has moved on. He always hopes that he will see him in his boat and want him back. It hasn’t worked yet, but he’s hoping if he keeps selling fake art, Tom will get mad enough to talk to him. Recently he came to tell Redd that he was welcome to sell his art on the regular part of the island as long as he didn’t claim the forgeries were real, but Redd told him to go fuck himself.

Blathers is married to Brewster. It was hard being long distance so Brewster decided to move to the island, too. Sometimes Blathers is self-conscious about how much he talks, but Brewster finds it adorable. Sometimes a family is a bird who talks too much and a bird who doesn’t talk enough.

Harvey, Harriet, Leif, and Pascal are in a polyamorous relationship with each other. Harvey and Harriet got together first, then they met Pascal and Leif. Harriet isn’t dating Pascal, but they are good friends. They’re currently a closed polycule.

Flick and CJ are dating. They were childhood best friends, then got together as teens. Now they live together in a 2 bedroom apartment. One of the bedrooms belongs to the bugs and fish. Flick doesn’t talk to his dad much, and people assume it’s because he’s homophobic. Really it’s because Nat loves eating bugs. Another example of politics destroying families 😔

Pelly moved on from Pete after she caught him pirating content from Phyllis’s Onlyfans. She’s now with a pelican named Pierre, who is a Boondoxian. Pierre is scared of Phyllis, as everyone should be.

Gracie is friends with benefits with Pavé and Resetti. She’s a dom and they’re into that.

Dr Shrunk’s wife wanted to open up their marriage and he agreed, but now regrets it. He talked to Dr Shrunk (his wife) about his regrets and she told him she wanted a divorce. He is having a midlife crisis, and now the only reactions he can teach are ‘heartbreak,’ ‘hefty child support,’ and ‘look at my exotic tattoo.’ This is why he is absent in New Horizons, as Nintendo didn’t think these reactions would be profitable. (Geez, show the man some compassion.)

Ankha is taking a break from dating after someone leaked her nudes. She went on a coffee date with Wisp once, but he was too much of a scaredy-cat for her.

Don Resetti has a crush on Beppe at OK Motors. They don’t see each other much, but every time they do is magical. A scrapped part of New Horizons was the player setting them up on a date in exchange for bells, but Nintendo decided against it.

Reese and Cyrus are happy as ever, and are that couple you mute on social media because they make you feel bad about your own love life.

Franklin used to have a Tinder, but deleted it after he only got messages from vore roleplayers. Speed dating hasn’t worked out well for him, either.

Gillivarr has an unrequited crush on Celeste. Celeste is the unrequited crush of many, many people.

Wardell and Niko are in a committed relationship after working together for years. Digby and Lottie had to make amendments to the HHA rule book because they were sick of the PDA.

Lloid is well-endowed, but he still has a difficult time with dating because it’s made of clay, and no size in the world can make up for that.

[scotianostra]

On 30th September 1813 John Rae, surgeon, trader and Canadian explorer, was born.

Born n at Hall of Clestrain, Orphir, on the Orkney Islands, at the age of sixteen he began the study of medicine at Edinburgh University and in 1833 he was appointed surgeon to the Hudson’s Bay Company ship Prince of Wales on its annual voyage to Moose Factory, and was resident surgeon there from 1835 to 1844.

Between 1846 and 1854 John Rae made four voyages of exploration to the Arctic, surveying and charting many miles of newly discovered coastlines. In recognition of this the Royal Geographical Society awarded him the Founder’s Medal in 1862. Two of these expeditions had been sent out to search for Sir John Franklin; the search of 1853 resulted in the discovery of Franklin’s fate.

Information from the Inuit given to Rae showed that Franklin’s men had all perished and the bodies showed signs of cannibalism. This report made Rae unpopular and his achievements were rather ignored. Nobody wanted to believe that men would be capable of eating the flesh of humans, even in an attempt to save their own lives, it wasn’t as if they killed their own people.

In 1860 he married Catharine Jane Alicia, daughter of Major George A. Thompson, Ardkill,Derry, Ireland, but his days at The Hudson Bay Company were far from over, Rae rejoined them 1864 to survey the route from Fort Garry to Victoria, and at both points accumulated material for the construction of a continental telegraph. The material he collected at Winnipeg was utilized in 1871 in linking up Manitoba with Eastern Canada.

In October 1882 he revisited Winnipeg, giving an address to the Manitoba Historical Society on his Arctic explorations and on the value of Hudson Bay as a commercial route. In 1880 the Royal Society elected him a Fellow. He was the author of many journals and papers and his name is perpetuated in many place names in the Canadian Arctic.

Rae was another Scot who was something of a polymath, and his writings on economics were admired by John Stuart Mill. He wrote A Narrative of an Expedition to the Shores of the Arctic Sea in 1846 and 1847 and Report of the Proceedings of the Arctic Searching Expedition.

Rae's legacy is an important one. He is thought to have mapped around 1,750 miles of the Arctic coast. His willingness to learn from the indigenous people that he met on his travels sets him aside from many of his contemporaries.

The Victorian wrong was righted when the simple plaque for the Orcadian surgeon turned explorer Dr John Rae was unveiled at Westminster Abbey in 2014, his writings have been accepted as accurate since the days of the doubters.

He spent his last years in London, where he died on 22 July 1893, his body was taken by steamer to Kirkwall for burial at St Magnus Cathedral, a memorial inside to Rae shows him sleeping on the ground, covered with a skin blanket. Nearby are his gun and a book.

[hazelcephalopod]

Well today feels like as good a day as any for me to mention some real history I learned after I watched The Terror. This has basically nothing to do with the show I’ll tell you rn -I’ll also mention some facts about the Franklins at the end. Let’s talk about Dr. John Rae and one of the first investigations into “Wtf happened to the Franklin expedition.”

Background

John Rae was born on September 30, 1813 in Orkney were he was also raised -The Orkneys are a group of islands off Scotlands northern coast. He became a doctor and then got a job to what is not Ontario with the Hudson Bay Company. During that time he worked with First Nations people of the area and became adept with snowshoes and survival skills.

He was later chosen for an expedition which required further training that he had to travel to receive. He then joined expedition and took advice from Inuit he met along the way. During this period he learned to build igloos which he preferred to tents. While he did not reach his destination he made progress on its goals. He later explored the Arctic coast exploring areas that Franklin had before -or near them.

Journeys to find Franklins Expedition

Dr Rae became the second in command on a expedition to find Franklins taking an overland Arctic route, in 1848. Many other took place Using different routes and at different times, most with limited or no success. One of the rivers they encountered is named after him. Ultimately this expedition failed to find Franklins nor much evidence or information about it. Rae returned to England in 1852, roughly 4 years since it started.

Back in England he was granted an attempt to to return in 1853 and had by March of that year. This attempt would prove far more fruitful.

In 1954, after over a year of travel he met some Inuit who had a gold cap-band. When asked they explained they had found it 10-12 days away at a place where roughly 35 non-Inuit had starved to death. He bought it and offered to buy any similar items.

Several weeks later and only two of his men able to travel he began to turn back, on the way he met several Inuit families who wanted to trade with him. With them they had a small silver platter engraved on the back read “Sir John Franklin, K.C.H.”.

They informed him that 4 winters prior some Inuit met no less than 40 non-Inuit who where dragging a boat south, describing a man who fit the description of Francis Crozier. This party of probably Englishwomen communicated by gestures to the Inuit that their ships had been crushed and they were looking to hunt further south. When the same Inuit returned the next spring they found roughly 30 deceaseds, also found were signs of cannibalism.

Rae found this information sufficient to end his search and return to England and report his findings. Ultimately leaving Repulse Bay several months later in August 1854. His journey he taken a roughly a year and a half. He may have been the first European person to discovery the Northern Passage and was certainly one of the first.

Report and Disgrace

Once returned to Britain Dr. Rae made two reports. The the British Admirality he made a full report including the cannibalism, to the public his report excluded the mention of cannibalism. The Admirality, apparently by mistake, released the full report to the public, causing backlash. Lady Jane Franklin was especially affronted and had Charles Dickens write a tirade against Rae published in a magazine. The tirade ignited racist claims that the Inuit were liars, with some accusing they themselves of the cannibalism, claiming Englishmen would not have stooped to such acts. Additionally implying Dr. Rae the fool for believing the Inuit themselves.

Dr. Rae’s reputation was somewhat tarnished, he received a portion of the prize money for the information gathered, but it likely prevented him from being knighted and receiving further recognition in life and for the century after his death.

Post Expeditions, Death, and Legacy

Despite this he planned a polar expedition, building the “Iceberg”. Before he could take this journey the ship was used as a cargo ship and sadly sunk with its crew of 7. The wreck remains lost. Following this he became a founder of the “Hamilton Scientific Association” which would become the “Hamilton Association for the Advancement Literature Science and Art”. He later worked to establish telegraph lines in America and Canada. He visited Iceland and Greenland. He also married in 1860.

Dr. John Rae died in Kensington, London on July 22, 1893 at the age of 79. He was buried in Kirkwall, Orkney. His death went by mostly unacknowledged due to the backlash at his discovery of the fate of the Franklin Expedition. Later findings would confirm the reports he had been given by Inuit traders and delivered tactfully to Britain. (Author here: Authorities completely bungled his attempts to deliver the news with tact)

He has been noted as perhaps the foremost European Arctic survivalist. Likely in part due to his willingness to learn form local Arctic Peoples and other First Nation Peoples, setting him apart form many of contemporaries.

Since his death his accomplishment have received greater recognition, his former home in Kensington received a Blue Plaque in 2011. On the 200th Anniversary of his birth a statue to him was erected in Stromness, Orkney. Later that year the charity “The John Rae Society” was created to promote his achievements. Additionally, in 2014 at his birthplace of Hall of Celstrain, Orphic, Stromness, Orkney a plaque was placed by Historic Enviroment Scotland.

Also fun facts: His discover of the Northwest Passage is contested with the generally more accepted discovery by the McClure Expedition also created to find Franklins Expedition. McClure’s went significantly worse than Rae’s.

Places named -in English- after Dr. Rae include-

- Rae River

- Rae Strait

- Rae Isthmus

- Mnt. Rae

- Point Rae

- Rae-Edzo was the legal name for several settlements and communities near what is now called Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories, Canada.

Well thank you for reading. I really enjoyed writing this. I might do a better researched essay on this in the future. I’m just happy I got to tell you about Dr. John Rae bc tbh his story has become a minor special interest of mine. I just think he was a neat guy.

Now for those who want some absolutely not respectful words about the dead:

Facts about the Franklins (I’d not call them fun)

my opinion based off the following info: fuck’em. They sucked. (Plz ready Sir/Lady with the maximum amount of contempt you can manage)

As shown in the show this was not Sir first expedition. On his first he lost 11 of 20 men over roughly 3 years. Learning from the first the second went much better, they mapped the area and didn’t seem to suffer any major losses -though tbh some of it seems to have been luck.

Lady Jane Franklin -his second wife- while her husband was a Lt. Gov. of Tasmania (1837-1843) took in two aboriginal children one after the other, to “teach them to be civilized”. A young boy named Timemendic who she soon gave to her step-daughter (who was 18) who trained him as a servant, until he was deemed bad at that and they tried to send him to an orphanage and then ultimately to work as a deckhand.

Several years she decided to try again and “adopt” a very young girl called Mary whom she renamed Mathinna, once again she put her step daughter in charge of her. Lady Franklin liked her much more, but ultimately when Lord Franklin was called back to England they abandoned her in an orphanage, the rest of her life was suffice to say filled with abuse and suffering and by 18 she was dead. Her remains were eventually returned to Tasmania.

[petoskeystones]

on this day in 1854, able seaman thomas morgan of the hms investigator died of scurvy and tuberculosis at the age of 33. having been a sailor since the age of six(?!), he was a posthumous recipient of the arctic medal— as was everyone who searched for the northwest passage and/or sir john franklin between the years of 1818 and 1855.

his troubles began in march 1852 when he had a tumor removed by the ship's doctor, alexander armstrong (the above excerpt is from armstrong's very thorough account of the expedition, which is online here), and he spent the next 118 days under medical observation. his illnesses and maladies continued, and by the end of his life, he was so weak he had to be carried on a makeshift cot on a dog sledge.

he died may 22 1854 and was buried four days later on beechey island with torrington, hartnell, and braine. ship's carpenter ford made his coffin, and captain robert mcclure performed the service. the next week, the crew of the hms investigator moved on.

(for more on the hms investigator, "ice ghosts" by paul watson has quite a bit on them and the rescue operation to find them. also check out dr armstrong's personal narrative, which is soooo detailed, and "discovering the north-west passage" by glenn stein. one of the more interesting franklin rescue operations imo!)

[clove-pinks]

I'm so emotional over the Franklin Expedition daguerreotypes at auction that I don't know if I can even make fun of their 1840s hairstyles, which are more visible than ever in the high resolution images (which are better than anything SPRI ever released, as Logan Zachary pointed out).

But. Edward Couch and macassar oil and/or bear's grease or whatever product he has lmao.

I have seen this in many other mid-19th century daguerreotypes: so much styling product his hair gleams and is literally sculpted into shape. (I have also previously written about Dr. Stanley's 1840s juvenile delinquent hairstyle). Along with the low inseam and footstrap on trousers, it seems to be one of those things that rarely makes it into historical costume dramas.

The Franklin daguerreotype images are also high resolution enough that you get a better view of their wonderful black stocks tied with bows. It's an easy look but the bow gives it a certain elegance—Fitzjames and Goodsir have particularly good examples of stocks. As I understand it almost any black stock was acceptable per Royal Navy regs for a long time, allowing the 19th century officer a certain degree of fashion expression changing with the times.

I love Frederick William Beechey's portrait circa 1822 in pattern 1812 uniform (NMM):

Another great polar look! (Yes Beechey like Beechey Island, which he named after his father).

[cymlea]

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Hotel South Tampa & Suites

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Engage in Unique Activities

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FAQ

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Q: Is Tampa Riverwalk worth visiting? Absolutely! Tampa Riverwalk is a must-visit attraction, offering a scenic stroll along the Garrison Channel and Hillsborough River. With water-based activities, beachfront restaurants, museums, and year-round festivals, it provides an enriching and enjoyable experience.

[librarycards]

Currently, I'm reading Octavia Butler's Patternist series, and I have also read her Lilith's Brood series. The way she writes about eugenics and breeding is really interesting to me. Do you have any recs that treat those topics similarly?

lmao this is also something i'm very obsessed with in a way that is Definitely Very Psychologically Healthy! here are some books with similar themes that might interest you.

Ann Halam, Dr. Franklin's Island (a retelling of The Island of Dr Moreau)

Sara Flannery Murphy, Girl One

C Pam Zhang, Land of Milk and Honey

Sarah Gailey, The Echo Wife

Larissa Lai, Salt Fish Girl

These all have eugenics and particularly creation/breeding as primary themes. Not really monsterfucking, though, so sorry if you were hoping for that!

[spectrology]

i miss as a kid when i would just pull whatever off the shelf and read it. no preference for genre or length or subject matter. i wasnt looking for anything in particular. id just be like oh neat and read the whole thing. 11 yr old me reading totally joe one day and dr franklins island the next

[book--brackets]

Hi! There’s a book I read a few times as a kid but can’t remember the name of now. I was hoping you or one of your followers could help me find it??

It starts with a bunch of teenagers on a plane for some kind of completion/event. The plane goes down near an island. For the first few dozen pages there’s survival talk, power struggle, etc. Then somehow the two main characters that we’ve been following were kidnapped, and, through mad science and experimentation, turned into a dolphin and some kind of large bird, respectively. We hear their thoughts turn from human into the animal they’ve been turned into. Any leads? Thanks so much!

Could it be Dr. Franklin’s Island by Ann Halam? I’ve never heard of it before, but I did some researching. If not, I recommend asking r/whatsthatbook, they’ve found many vaguely described books for me!

[mylittledarkag3]

How many have you read out of the hundred?

Me: 64/100

Reblog & share your results

1. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

2. "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky

3. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

4. "1984" by George Orwell

5. "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

6. "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel García Márquez

7. "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

8. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

9. "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy

10. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

11. "Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville

12. "The Odyssey" by Homer

13. "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë

14. "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy

15. "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky

16. "The Iliad" by Homer

17. "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

18. "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo

19. "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes

20. "Middlemarch" by George Eliot

21. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

22. "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

23. "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

24. "Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen

25. "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" by Victor Hugo

26. "The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells

27. "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck

28. "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer

29. "The Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James

30. "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling

31. "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

32. "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri

33. "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens

34. "The Trial" by Franz Kafka

35. "Mansfield Park" by Jane Austen

36. "The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas

37. "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

38. "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift

39. "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

40. "Emma" by Jane Austen

41. "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe

42. "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy

43. "The Republic" by Plato

44. "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad

45. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle

46. "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson

47. "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

48. "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

49. "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

50. "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens

51. "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell

52. "The Plague" by Albert Camus

53. "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

54. "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov

55. "The Red and the Black" by Stendhal

56. "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

57. "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand

58. "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

59. "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky

60. "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

61. "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle

62. "The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins

63. "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe

64. "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson

65. "Ulysses" by James Joyce

66. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe

67. "Vanity Fair" by William Makepeace Thackeray

68. "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett

69. "Walden Two" by B.F. Skinner

70. "Watership Down" by Richard Adams

71. "White Fang" by Jack London

72. "Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys

73. "Winnie-the-Pooh" by A.A. Milne

74. "Wise Blood" by Flannery O'Connor

75. "Woman in the Nineteenth Century" by Margaret Fuller

76. "Women in Love" by D.H. Lawrence

77. "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig

78. "The Aeneid" by Virgil

79. "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton

80. "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

81. "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu

82. "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" by Benjamin Franklin

83. "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

84. "The Big Sleep" by Raymond Chandler

85. "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

86. "The Caine Mutiny" by Herman Wouk

87. "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov

88. "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

89. "The Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

90. "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

91. "The Clue in the Crumbling Wall" by Carolyn Keene

92. "The Code of the Woosters" by P.G. Wodehouse

93. "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

94. "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas

95. "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller

96. "The Crying of Lot 49" by Thomas Pynchon

97. "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown

98. "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Leo Tolstoy

99. "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon

100. "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" by Rebecca Wells

[yr-obedt-cicero]

Platonic communal sleeping in the American colonies

Platonic bed-sharing was actually quite common custom in the colonies, especially during time's of need, after all, space and privacy were a luxury of the wealthy. It didn't necessarily have to be intimate either, it was not uncommon for sometimes even complete strangers - often travelers or soldiers - of the same sex to share a bed together at an Inn if there was little space, and needed room. Samuel Pepys, an 18th century diarist, often slept with male friends and wrote about the conversations they would have at night. [x]

Rotundo also explains that; “It is not too much to suggest that in an era before central heating, the body warmth of an already beloved bedmate may have been so welcome as to be a source of emotional as well as physical pleasure.” And implies that while it was most of the time done out of necessity, it was also oftentimes simply a warming act of affection, romantic or platonic; “This was, after all, a culture that fervently contrasted the secure and cozy warmth of home with the coldness of a cruel and heartless world outside… A bed, when shared with a special person, could become a nest of intimacy, a place of casual touch and confidential talk.” [x]

Additionally, during the days before central heating was truly a common thing (Especially if you weren't royal or wealthy), bedmates were also seen as warmth. Oftentimes servants even slept alongside their mistresses. This was also how many sicknesses would spread, as bedbugs and lice were transported from person to person in the colonial period usually when sharing bunks or close quarters.

Even notable figures took part in this custom, like Robert Troup and Alexander Hamilton, as Chernow writes how the two shared beds while studying law together at King's College; “At King's, Troup wrote, ‘...they occupied the same room and slept in the same bed’” [x]

Which also leads to a humourous story about when John Adams slept with Benjamin Franklin in a New Jersey tavern during the fall of 1776. Just ten days prior, Washington and his men had barely escaped capture on Long Island after a suffering defeat to the British. The Continental Congress had debated for days about what was to be done. The British had captured General John Sullivan during the Battle, Earl Howe and his brother William Howe paroled Sullivan so he could take a message to Congress, as they wanted a talk peace. Eventually, Sullivan went to Philadelphia and spoke to Congress about the peace talks, to which the Congress decided that they would send a three-man committee to Staten Island. Which was composed of; Benjamin Franklin, Edward Rutledge, and Adams. The men represented the northern, middle and southern colonies. The three had set out on September 9th, Franklin and Rutledge each in a two-wheeled chaise, Adams on horseback. Later, the three men arrived in New Brunswick, and unfortunately had found the Inns all too crowded. Which led to Franklin and Adams having to share a tiny room, barely bigger than the bed, without a chimney, in the Indian Queen Tavern. Which then began an interesting debate, as they prepared to retire;

The window was open, and I, who was an invalid and afraid of the air in the night, shut it close. “Oh!” says Franklin, “don't shut the window, we shall be suffocated.” I answered, I was afraid of the evening air. Dr. Franklin replied, “The air within this chamber will soon be, and indeed is now, worse than that without doors. Come, open the window and come to bed, and I will convince you. I believe you are not acquainted with my theory of colds.” Opening the window, and leaping into bed, I said I had read his letters to Dr. Cooper, in which he had advanced, that nobody ever got cold by going into a cold church or any other cold air, but the theory was so little consistent with my experience, that I thought it a paradox. However, I had so much curiosity to hear his reasons that I would run the risk of a cold. The Doctor then began a harangue upon air and cold, and respiration and perspiration, with which I was so much amused that I soon fell asleep, and left him and his philosophy together, but I believe they were equally sound and insensible within a few minutes after me, for the last words I heard were pronounced as if he was more than half asleep. I remember little of the lecture...

Source — The Works of John Adams, Volume 3, by John Adams

Especially during time of war, when the revolution was rough, and means were low. Or as some day; “These are the times that try men's souls”. If the army was running low on space, or even beds, many - if not most - men resorted to sharing the same bed. Although this particular custom was not as accepted by many European visitors who came to the colonies, this cultural difference was often completely condemned by them. Pierre Du Ponceau - an aide of Baron von Steuben's - wrote of a particular dispute between a Virginian and a Frenchman about the subject in his autobiography;

One evening at an Inn in Virginia, a Frenchman and a Virginian were discussing about the manners of their respective countries. The American exclaimed violently against the horrid custom of the French of kissing one another at meeting and parting. The Frenchman made no answer, but as it was late, he took his candle and went up to bed. He was soon followed by the Virginian who after undressing came to take his place in the same bed with his companion “Stop, Sir,” said the Frenchman, “that won't do—I shall kiss you as much as you please, but by Jupiter, I'll not sleep with you.”

Source — Autobiographical Letters Of Peter S. Duponceau

It seems like this custom was almost exclusively English/Colonial, as David Montagu Erskine wrote to his father in 1799 of the living arrangements he and his companions encountered among the transient inhabitants of Washington, DC;

Each of us have a bed room to ourselves, if we chuse, but people in this country seem to think so lightly of such an indispensable comfort as I consider it, that I believe there are but three of us, who have rooms to ourselves.

Source — Menk, Patricia Holbert. “D. M. Erskine: Letters from America, 1798-1799.” The William and Mary Quarterly, Volume 6.

Edward Thornton, secretary to the new British minister to the United States, wrote to his former employer in 1792;

Mr. Hammond's rank may possibly secure him from some of the inconveniences, which others, rendered fastidious by the style of travelling in England, are loud in their complaints of, such as [...] fellow lodgers in the same room and not infrequently in the same bed.

Source — Jackman, S. W. “A Young Englishman Reports on the New Nation: Edward Thornton to James Bland Burges, 1791-1793.” The William and Mary Quarterly, Volume 18

This custom was even common after the revolution and the war of 1812—As Lieutenant John Le Couteur, a British army officer from the Isle of Jersey, traveled through New York in 1816 accompanied by Captain George Thew Burke. Le Couteur and Burke arrived at an Inn one day after dinner had been served and cleared, and they were hard-pressed to convince the hostess to bring out more food, “But this was not the last grievance.” Le Couteur recorded in his diary and concluded;

There was only one spare bed, a small one, which of course I insisted Burke should take. The Yankee Landlord wished me to take half of it as a matter of course but I said: “we Britishers were particular on that pint.’ “Then,” said mine host, “I guess if you don’t chuse to take half a bed with some one, you’ll jist sleep in a cheer [chair] or by the kitchen fire’

Source — Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships, by William E Benemann

[saints-who-never-existed]

Rereading The Terror

Chapter Fifty-Two: Goodsir

The first thing I think it worth noting about this chapter is that I believe it's the first of Goodsir's to be written in the third person and not as a diary entry from the man's own perspective - "...the surgeon had no stomach for keeping his diary. He tossed the stained leather book into his travelling medical kit and left it there." I find that shift fascinating and think it very much speaks of hopelessness and resignation on Goodsir's part - with death so imminent, after all, what story is there really left for him to tell in his own words?

He reflects a little on the short time that's passed since the great reckoning with Hickey's mutineers. They've divided up what little food remains, equally and scrupulously, no man really trusting another anymore. A representative "of each class of man on the ship - officers, warrant officers, petty officers, able seamen" share the task of searching out food from every remaining nook and cranny in camp while the rest of the men watch them do so. I find that a very interesting detail - in real life, in the book, and in the show, so much comes down to class divides and decorum and that's always worth talking about more.

Goodsir also reflects on his own grisly monologue vis a vis proper human butchery: "...while he was giving Hickey... the anatomical details of carving up the human body to serve as sustenance, Harry D. S. Goodsir had been horrified to find himself salivating." (Horrible From Supper, baby! Horrible From Supper!)

The three men who intend to set off across the island back to the ship have already departed carrying almost nothing - not even a tent. In contrast, Hickey and co. have loaded their boat down with all manner of random and useless bits and bobs: "Men all over camp...had been abandoning useless items - hairbrushes, books, towels, writing desks, combs - bits of civilisation they'd hauled for a hundred days and now refused to haul any farther, and, for some inexplicable reason, Hickey and his men had loaded as many of these rejected pieces of junk into their pinnace..." This is another thing I find utterly fascinating and can't quite parse all my feelings on just yet. What does it mean to reach that breaking point and to finally abandon, to reject those 'symbols of civilisation'? And what does it mean to take up those same symbolic items that others have abandoned?

Goodsir watches Hickey's group depart the camp and all he can think about is the trail of now-frozen corpses they've left behind them, sure that Hickey is counting on finding those preserved bodies for his groups' survival. "I just hope they do not find the subordinate officers' steward's body. I liked John Bridgens. He was a dignified man and deserves better than to be devoured by the likes of Cornelius Hickey." We have a few other specific characters mentioned that also break my heart. We hear that Jopson will be dead from scurvy within a couple of days, and that Tom Hartnell, acting as Goodsir's new assistant, has volunteered to stay behind with the ill men and face certain death himself. :(((

Returning to the subject of cannibalism, we learn that Goodsir has decided already that he will never partake in it. Interestingly though, it's clear that he doesn't condemn the act outright: "Yet he would also never cast judgement on the men here at Rescue Camp or on the expedition south who did end up eating human flesh to last a short while longer. If any man on the Franklin Expedition understood that the human body was a mere animal vessel for the soul - and only so much meat once that soul had departed - it was their surviving surgeon and anatomist, Dr Harry Goodsir." It's a fascinating viewpoint, especially when considering Goodsir in the show - like, his actions there being indicative not necessarily of a disgust with cannibalism itself but more at the nefarious and underhanded way Hickey has gone about committing the act is not an unfair interpretation to consider, I think. ("You’ve murdered this man whom you now wish to eat and are unwilling to butcher his flesh yourself.")

Soon enough, he's summoned to a meeting with Crozier and the remaining senior crew. Contrary to their previous plan, it seems they cannot quite bring themselves to abandon the ill just yet and have resolved at least to wait at Rescue Camp a while longer. They hope that they still might be able to hunt game in that time, and that the ice may finally break up enough that they can all leave - the sick and the still-'strong' alike - in the boats. Again, Goodsir's reaction to this is very interesting: "Goodsir nodded slowly. He had been so reconciled to the certainty of his own death in the coming days or weeks that even the thought of potential salvation was almost painful."

Nevertheless, that plan is settled on. They'll all remain at Rescue camp for now, they'll keep an eye out for any more nefariousness from Hickey's mutineers, they'll hope for a thaw of the ice, and for game and fish to appear once they move on: "...but [we] may have to pin our hopes on catching fish... a real probability according to such as explorers as George Back and our own Sir John Franklin." "Sir John also ate his shoes." said Corporal Pearson. And if that rejoinder wasn't hilarious enough, the chapter actually ends on a positive note with a bit of gallows humour as Crozier himself jokes that the reason he brought so many spare boots along wasn't just to protect the men's feet on the long march but as a secret source of food. The absurdity of this has them all suddenly crying with laughter, poor sods. "Shhh!" Crozier said at last, sounding like a schoolmaster with boys but still chuckling himself." :')

[jaggedcliffs]

Currently getting emotional over this paragraph from one of Dr. Goodsir’s chapters in The Terror (the book version): 

“With the Exception of brothers serving together on this Expedition  -- and Thomas Hartnell lost his older brother on Beechy Island -- there are no relatives who will ever come out here on the ice or onto this Terrible Island of wind, snow, ice, lightning, and fog. There is no one to identify us when we fall, much less Bury us“ (chp. 33, p.440)

Because Robert Goodsir -- Harry Goodsir’s little brother -- did go to the Arctic to look for the Franklin Expedition. But the search parties that he was a part of never made it as far as King William’s Island. He never found his brother.

And while one of the two bodies found and brought back to England in 1869 is most likely Harry Goodsir’s, that fact wasn’t discovered until 2009 -- before then, it was thought to be Lieutenant Henry Le Vesconte’s body. Robert Goodsir and the rest of their family wouldn’t have known they’d found Harry’s body. They wouldn’t have known they brought him back.